


Shadows Over Gerudo Valley

by LyriaBlackFrost



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Fluff, Light Smut, Link was raised as a Gerudo, M/M, Masturbation, Mild Angst, Mutual love and trust, Small age gap, They're both adults here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-09
Updated: 2018-05-09
Packaged: 2019-05-04 11:58:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14592561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyriaBlackFrost/pseuds/LyriaBlackFrost
Summary: Sometimes, Ganondorf wondered if he had made the right decision.Sometimes, Link wondered if his loyalty wasn’t enough.A brief story about a Link that grew together with Ganondorf in Gerudo Valley, and their unspoken feelings for each other.





	Shadows Over Gerudo Valley

**Author's Note:**

> I love the idea of Link and Ganondorf growing up together, so here it is. I hope you enjoy it!

Even after so many years, he still stood out among the Gerudos. In part, it was thanks to the fair skin, blond hair and blue eyes, which contrasted so much against the brown, red and golden of that clan’s members. The other reason, of course, was the flat chest and masculine, even if slightly delicate face. He was a man, the second man capable of calling himself a Gerudo.

And the young man who watched him — silently and with interest — was the first.

Link had been found close to the Kokiri Forest by Nabooru, while she played in the fields with her horse, beside the lifeless body of a Hylian woman, around twelve years before, when the boy seemed to be no more than six years old. At the time, Ganondorf was barely ten, but was already considered — as a man — important enough to decide what to do with the boy. And, for some reason, he decided to accept him.

That was, at the same time, the best and worst decision he could have made.

Link was a smart boy and didn’t take long to, despite the appearance, become a Gerudo in spirit. He was strong and independent, and, at the same time, gentle and lovable enough so the clan loved him like a son or little brother. Not only that: he was great at coming up with plans and fighting, but also knew how to use his words, negotiating, deceiving and seducing with the same ease he used a sword or a bow. Despite his childish laugh and innocent face, Link had total conscience of his beautiful appearance, and knew how to use it in his favor.

And Ganondorf, despite not admitting out loud, hated it.

 

* * *

 

“You seem distracted.”

Link’s voice woke Ganondorf from his thoughts. He looked to his side, only to see those blue eyes staring at his face.

“Everything alright?” asked Link, sounding worried.

Ganondorf forced a small smile, placing his arm around Link’s shoulders, bringing him closer in a playful manner.

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

Link didn’t seem happy with that answer, twisting his lips in contradiction.

“Because you look more grumpy than usual,” he said, taking his hands to Ganondorf’s face, forcing the corners of his lips upward, frowning soon after. “Creepy…”

This time, Ganondorf’s smile was sincere. There were few people in the world capable to reach his heart, and Link was one of them, if not the only one. Knowing this comforted and haunted him in equivalent a manner.

“I’m not grumpy, I’m just…” Ganondorf made a brief pause. “Thinking.”

Link looked at him. It was obvious he wanted to ask more questions, but didn’t. He knew Ganondorf would rather keep certain things to himself, and always respected it.

“It’s been a while since I last trained with my bow, I must be getting rusty,” said Ganondorf suddenly, changing the subject. “Maybe it would be a good idea to train while I have free time. Want to come along?”

Link’s expression got brighter with that offer, and soon both of them went together to that area were they always had trained, since they were kids. Since the days Ganondorf still thought about Link as a little brother.

That seemed to have happened an eternity ago.

 

* * *

 

When the night covered the vale, Link was laying on his back on the bed, looking distracted to the ceiling.

The truth is that he was worried about Ganondorf.

Despite being just a little more than twenty two years old, he already carried all of his clan’s responsibilities over his shoulders, as if being a Gerudo wasn’t enough of a burden already.

The Gerudos were infamous thieves, the great majority by choice, but even the women who dreamed with a peaceful life, with a kind partner and children to raise, or even an independent but honest life as merchants or treasure hunters, knew such things would never happen. The colors marked them. The skin, the hair and the eyes revealed their origin, and exiled them from the rest of the world. They were criminals by nature, just by being born with that appearance, in that dry, desolated place. In that prison of sand and wind. Link didn’t mind being a Gerudo, but in his case, it was different: the only things that kept him there were his loyalty and love, not the blood.

Link sighed briefly, closing his eyes. Such thing should make him feel calmer, since he knew he had the option to begin a new life out of there if he wanted, but instead, it only filled him with fear. Despite never having been told that, he knew he wasn’t a true Gerudo, and would never be. If someday he became a burden to the clan, they wouldn’t have any reason to keep him there any longer, because, in fact, he wasn’t a blood brother. Aware of that, Link did everything he could, training day after day, proving his valor as he could, whenever he could, trying to buy his place in that vale.

Not that he doubted the affection Nabooru and the others felt for him. He knew they loved him, just like he loved them, and would never turn his back on him.

Even so, he was afraid.

It had been a while that Ganondorf was acting strange. Link knew he was worried about something he didn’t share with the others, and noticed more than once his gaze upon him, with a shadow of guilt.

He was worried about Ganondorf, but also about himself: if Ganondorf was starting to regret his decision of accepting him among the Gerudos, and decided to banish him from the clan, there was nothing any other Gerudo could do to stop him.

Thinking about that possibility was enough to make Link feel terrified. Since the beginning, even if he said his efforts were to serve the clan, they were, in fact, mostly a way to help and please Ganondorf. First as a leader, then as a family, and now in a desperate and much less innocent way than before.

His greatest fear wasn’t losing his home, but being rejected by a single person.

 

* * *

 

Ganondorf was laying down with his eyes closed, but didn’t sleep.

It wasn’t the first time he thought about that, and certainly it was far from being the last. Part of him insisted that he would find a way, that there was no reason to worry.

The other part, more rational, disagreed: this time, his plans weren’t limited to a simple theft. There was something else he wanted, something that, they said, would give a limitless power to whoever possessed it. The power to rule over that reign, to free his people once and for all. The power of a god.

If he succeeded, maybe the world would never be the same again. But if he failed… The best result would be his own death.

He planned to act alone, without involving his clan. If he departed and ordered them not to follow him, they would have no choice but to obey. It was in their blood.

But not in his…

Link wasn’t a Gerudo. Nothing could stop him from following Ganondorf, and, knowing the boy, he would. He would risk his life for him, like he always did.

That’s what worried him so much. That’s why he regretted so bitterly having accepted Link as a Gerudo. He had a perfect plan, and now, the only thing that stopped him from following it was that mistake he had made so many years ago.

The worst mistake that he, as a leader, could have made: loving another person above anything else.

“Gan?”

Ganondorf turned his head to the door when he heard that well-known voice. Link was standing there, looking inside with a slightly apprehensive look.

“Yes?” asked Ganondorf, sitting up.

“Can I talk with you?”

Ganondorf told Link to enter the room with a brief gesture. Link obeyed, approaching Ganondorf’s bed, sitting on the border of the mattress. He didn’t say anything for a while, trying to organize his own thoughts

“What’s wrong?” asked Ganondorf, finding that silence a bit odd.

Link took a deep breath.

“You know I would never betray you, right?” he asked in a low tone. “That I would die for you if I had to.”

Ganondorf felt his heart sink.

“Why are you telling me this?”

Link looked down, to his own hands.

“I just wanted you to know,” he said.

They were in silence for a while, until Ganondorf let out a heavy sigh.

“I never asked you to die for me,” he said in a serious tone. “You don’t have to.”

“I know you didn’t. But I would.”

“I don’t want you to. I’m supposed to take care of you, not the other way around.”

Link frowned, seeming annoyed by that answer.

“We’re supposed to take care of each other,” he protested. “But you’re still the leader… Everyone here needs you, and that includes me. But… That’s not what I wanted to say.”

Link twisted his lips and looked at the ceiling, taking another deep breath.

“Do you trust me?” he asked.

“Of course I do.”

“Then…” Link looked at him with serious eyes. “Can you tell me what you’re hiding?”

Ganondorf was silent. He feared that question, especially because he knew it was useless to lie. Link would know if he did.

A heavy silence filled the room.

“Can’t you tell me?” insisted Link.

“It’s complicated.”

“Why?”

Again, silence. Link seemed hurt, but didn’t insist on the subject anymore.

“Do you regret letting me join the clan?” he asked.

Ganondorf bit the inside of his lip.

“Sometimes I do.”

It was as if he had punched Link, and maybe that would have caused a better reaction. Link kept his eyes on his hands, not blinking, as if making an effort not to let the tears fall. His lips trembled a little, and Ganondorf felt guilty about it.

“Listen…” said Ganondorf in a gentle tone. “It’s not that I dislike having you around—”

“Then what is it?” asked Link in a low tone.

Ganondorf sighed.

“You put me above yourself,” he said. “You say you’d die for me, but if you did, I would never forgive myself. I care too much about you… Probably more than I should.”

Link looked at him.

“Do you think it’s not the same for me?” he asked. “I see you everyday, dealing with everything alone, and I just want to… Do something, help in some way.”

“You don’t have to.”

Link opened his mouth to protest, but stopped himself. He seemed frustrated, with twisted lips and furrowed brows. Ganondorf couldn’t help but think he looked adorable like that.

Then, in the next moment, Link turned his body, placing a knee on the mattress so he could get closer to the other, and before Ganondorf could react, the boy’s lips where on his.

He felt Link’s hand on the side of his face. It was just a soft kiss, but Link let it last for a while. When they parted, however, he looked devastated.

“Sorry…” he muttered, while getting up.

But of course Ganondorf couldn’t let him go away just like that. Still trying to make sense of what just happened, he reached for Link’s wrist, holding him in place. Link looked at him, and none of them was able to find the words.

So Ganondorf pulled him closer, until Link was on his lap, straddling him. They looked at each other for a brief second, before their lips joined again.

This time, it was desperate, as if the years of longing had built up to an unbearable point. Ganondorf broke the kiss, letting his lips slide to the boys’ neck, tasting his skin, while feeling Link’s hands slide under his shirt. That made him aware of how much their clothes were in the way, and without wasting more time, began to undress him. They were going too fast, part of him knew it, but he didn’t want to stop, and the way Link touched him made clear he thought the same.

Link’s hands started to unbutton his shirt too, a little clumsy and hasty. He smiled against the crook of his neck, finding it endearing. Soon the shirts were on the floor, and Link’s hands were on Ganondorf’s belt, undoing it with less clumsy fingers now, to then open his pants. The thought of what was about to happen went straight to his already hard cock, and in an impulse he put his hands on Link’s shoulders, making he lay on his back on the bed, standing above him, looking at his lean but slightly muscular body with hungry eyes. The small rational part of his brain, however, made him hesitate for an instant.

“You sure about this?” he asked.

Link raised his leg, enough so he could give Ganondorf a light kick with his foot’s heel.

“Do I look like I’m not?” he asked.

A small laugh escaped from Ganondorf’s lips.

“You’re greedier than I expected…”

Link smiled at him, clearly amused, then touched the bulge on Ganondorf’s pants with his palm, pressing it a little.

“You’re the one to talk,” he said

“You little shit…” retorted Ganondorf with a pleased sigh.

He proceeded to take Link’s pants out, before that boy could make him come on his own, or something embarrassing like that. Link raised his hips, helping him. He caressed Link’s thighs, without any haste, loving the feeling of the strong muscles under that pale, smooth skin. He could spend hours like that, admiring and feeling that beautiful body with the tip of his fingers.

Ganondorf lowered his own pants, relieved for finally freeing his hot erection from the fabric. He looked down at Link, who had his slightly dazed, expectant eyes on him. Every inch of his body was screaming for him to keep going and fuck the other into the mattress, but he managed to control those urges. There wasn’t any lube or condoms around, and he wanted to do it properly, even if it had to wait.

Instead, he placed himself between Link’s thighs, wrapping both their cocks with his hand, moving it in a slow, rhythmic manner. Link’s hand soon joined his, helping him get a better grip, easing those movements, which soon became faster, almost desperate. Link placed his free hand on Ganondorf’s face, who got closer, kissing him. It was messy, tongues meeting among their moans and accelerated breaths. Neither of them would last longer, that much was clear.

Link came amid small spasms and a slightly hoarse moan, and if Ganondorf needed anything to bring him over the edge, that was more than enough.

 

* * *

 

They were laying side by side on the bed, Link’s head resting on Ganondorf’s chest, while Ganondorf absent-mindedly caressed his hair. They were silent for a while, as if not sure what to say. There was much to be said, that’s true, but turning it into words was a difficult task. Link took a deep breath, gathering the courage to ask what he wanted to know.

“Gan…”

Ganondorf, who had his eyes closed until that moment, looked at him.

“Yes?”

“Will you tell me what’s happening, now?”

Ganondorf let out a small sigh, averting his eyes to the ceiling.

“I really can’t hide anything from you, can I?” he said in a low tone.

“No, you can’t,” replied Link, in a serious but also comforting tone. “And if something is wrong, I want to know what it is.”

Ganondorf stayed silent for a few seconds, a thoughtful expression on his face.

“We can talk about it tomorrow,” he said, finally. “For now, let’s just sleep.”

Link couldn’t say he was pleased with that answer, but had to admit it was a start, considering how stubborn Ganondorf could be.

“You better not try to avoid it later,” he said.

A brief, amused laugh left Ganondorf’s throat.

“As if you’d let me…” he said.

Link smiled, a wave of fondness for that man suddenly overwhelming him. He placed his arm around Ganondorf’s torso, closing his eyes.

“Hey…” he said, after a short while. “No matter what happens, I’ll be with you.”

Ganondorf didn’t say anything, and Link thought he had already fallen asleep when those words echoed low in the room:

“I know.”

His voice was calmer than before, and it made Link feel relieved. Things would be fine, he was sure of it now. No matter what happened, they would be fine.

Wrapped by that familiar scent and warmth, he finally fell asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment if you can, it means a lot to me.  
> I hope you have a wonderful day! ♥


End file.
